History VideoGame / MetalSaga

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/metal_saga_wall_5.jpg]]

A console RPG series developed by ''Crea-tech'' that takes place in a ''Film/MadMax'' style post-apocalyptic world, with a healthy dose of CattlePunk thrown in for good measure. The player takes on the role of a young bounty hunter, cleaning up criminals and monsters and learning about the world.

The overall premise is that [[RunningGag it's about 100 years or so after the Great Destruction, and the wasteland is an okay place to]]-oh wait, wrong game. While this game does share some similarities to a certain [[VideoGame/{{Fallout}} post-apocalyptic adventure series,]] namely turn-based combat, open world and open-ended gameplay, and the CattlePunk themes, this series actually ''precedes'' that by about 6 years, the first iteration coming out on the SNES, and brings in the element of locating and acquiring [[TankGoodness tanks]] that you can then upgrade with equipment such as main cannons, engines, sub guns, and armor to battle tougher enemies.

The backstory of the series focuses around an apocalyptic event called the "[[ApocalypseHow Great Destruction.]]" [[NoodleIncident Details are unclear,]] but what is known is that the Great Destruction was started by a massive supercomputer named Noah who was originally built by humanity to save the world from environmental catastrophes. Noah, after running countless simulations and attaining sentience, decided that the best way to save the planet was to destroy the ones responsible for causing said environmental catastrophes...which happened to be humanity so one can guess [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt where it went from there.]] A century later, after Noah's defeat, civilization has rebuilt itself in the ruins of the world, which, in the wake of the apocalypse, has changed into a new, and dangerous, frontier with threats such as murderous robots, homicidal military equipment left over from before the Great Destruction, psychopathic bandits, and...giant knife-wielding fruit. Yeah, it's [[WidgetSeries that]] kind of game. At the forefront of humanity's survival efforts are bounty hunters (simply called "Hunters") who confront these threats head-on in hopes of collecting the lofty bounties posted on the more powerful and dangerous threats. Thankfully, there's plenty of tanks and [[MoreDakka other forms of heavy firepower]] left over from the Old World to make use of.

In all the games, the player takes the role of a young Hunter who ventures out into the world to take down various bounties, though the overall plot can differ depending on the game. All of them are open world RPG's however, with very nonlinear plots that aren't completely mandatory to follow through (and, in some cases, may be [[PermanentlyMissableContent completely missed]] unless you [[GuideDangIt know what you're doing]]) though each game has at least one main plot that leads to a canon ending. As mentioned above, another major trait of the series is the use of tanks and other vehicles to battle your enemies, which can be obtained by buying them, completing quests for them, obtaining them from defeated enemies, or by simply finding them with a metal detector and digging them out of the desert.
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!! The games in the series thus far:

* ''Metal Max (NES 1991):'' The first game in the series. The player controls a youngster, kicked out of your dad's place because you want to be a Hunter instead of a grease monkey. Along the way you join with a curious mechanic and a foul mouthed lady soldier, butt heads with the famous hunter, Wolf, hunt bounties around Crime Country, and learn about Noah, the super computer that brought about the end of the world over a hundred years prior.

* ''Metal Max 2 (SNES 1993, GBA 2003):'' The young protege of a famous Hunter, you witness her group's death at the hands of Ted Broiler, a commander of The Grapplers. You set out to destroy the criminal syndicate, with the assistance of a punk mechanic, an incompetent gun girl, and an intelligent dog with a bazooka mount.

* ''Metal Max Returns (SNES 1995):'' A remake of the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] game with enhanced graphics and references to ''Metal Max 2.'' Translated by Aeon Genesis.

* ''Metal Saga: Seijin no Kusari ([=PS2=]):'' It starts out with nothing more than an ExcusePlot (see below) but as the young protagonist makes his mark in the post-apocalypse world, he and his friends cross paths with a mysterious group with sinister motives and connections to an old, infamous enemy of humanity, and whom must be stopped before they cause a second apocalypse. Received a Western localization from Creator/{{Atlus}}. This game was the first 3D iteration of the series, and featured a very memorable fully animated intro video.

* ''Metal Saga: Hagane no Kisetsu (DS):'' A direct sequel to the first ''Metal Max'' (and ''Returns'' by proxy). As the son of the first game's Hunter, Lebanner, you must unravel the threat of the Noah Seed and thwart the disaster that already ruined the world once before.

* ''Metal Max 3 (DS):'' You play an amnesiac Hunter who is revived by Dr. Minch, journeying to regain your memory (and your belongings). The first game in the series to let you freely choose what characters make up your party. In addition to the main character, you can choose up to two human characters (male, female, or [[{{Crossdresser}} "okama"]]), from six different classes: [[JackOfAllStats Hunters,]] [[CombatPragmatist Sold]][[MoreDakka iers,]] [[TheEngineer Mechanics,]] [[BareFistedMonk Wrestlers,]] [[TheMedic Nurses,]] and [[ThePowerOfRock Artists,]] with the fourth party slot reserved for everyone's favorite gun wielding dog [[TeamPet Po]][[SeriesMascot chi.]] It also introduces armored motorcycles, cars, and the strange but powerful "bio-tank."

* ''Metal Max 2: Reloaded (DS):'' An UpdatedRerelease of ''Metal Max 2'' which uses the same classes from ''Metal Max 3'' and includes different vehicles.

* ''Metal Max 4: Moonlight Diva (3DS)'': When their foster father is kidnapped by a group of bad guys, the protagonist (and his android sister) must venture out into the wasteland of the world to rescue him from the clutches of an evil organization determined to awaken an ancient mobile fortress, with which they intend to take over the world.

* ''Metal Max Xeno'' ([=PS4=] and Vita): Following the defeat of the supercomputer NOA, humanity in the former Tokyo Bay area (now known as Distokio) still struggles to survive as NOA's murderous creations, known as [=SoNs=], methodically seek out and destroy human settlements one by one. One of the last surviving settlements, known as Iron Base, receives a mysterious visitor: A young man sporting a metal arm and a blood-red tank, and a serious beef with the [=SoNs.=] With his help, Iron Base can work towards bringing humanity back from the brink of extinction, but the [=SoNs=] are not going to make it easy for them. Released in April 2018, with a western localization by NIS America released on September 25th.
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!! The series features the following tropes:

* AbandonedLaboratory: Yoshida Life Sciences Laboratory and [[spoiler: the Global Relief Center]] in ''Metal Max (Returns).'' Noguchi Chemical from ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).''
* AfterTheEnd
* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler: Noah is a supercomputer designed to save the world and humanity from pollution. After acquiring the answer and recalculating the situation countless times, Noah always came up with the same conclusion: The Earth will always be in peril as long as humans exist. Noah's consciousness was developed after coming to that conclusion, and saw that if civilization was destroyed, the problems it caused would be erased with it. Though he seems to have overlooked the fact that destroying humanity would turn the rest of the world on end as well.]]
* AnArmAndALeg: If you [[GuideDangIt follow a certain specific plotline in]] ''Seijin no Kusari,'' the PlayerCharacter will be involved in an accident that results in the loss of one of his arms. Or well...''supposedly'' results in the loss of an arm. Due to the limitations of the game's engine and in-game models, all that happens is the Hunter's arm being covered in bandages mummy-style, but in-game comments imply that the injury is a limb-losing one. [[spoiler: A certain doctor can later offer to give you [[ProstheticLimbs a cybernetic replacement.]]]]
* ApocalypseHow: Ranges from Class 1-2 depending on the game.
* ApocalypticLog
* ArrowsOnFire: The Lawless Bow in ''Returns.''
* ArchEnemy: [[spoiler: Bad Valdez is Wolf's. He also counts as TheManBehindTheMan since Gomez was the one who bumped Wolf off.]]
** Ted Broiler in ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).''
* ArmCannon: Talis in ''Xeno'' has one in his metal arm, called the "Hand of Revenge" that deals a powerful electric attack. However, he can only use it a limited amount of times before healing, or else the feedback will leave him paralyzed until he can be taken back to Iron Base to heal.
* ArtificialLimbs: Syu in ''Seijin no Kusari'' can gain one depending on the order of the plotlines you follow.
** Talis in ''Xeno'' has one to start with, which allows him to do a powerful electric attack that is especially effective against [=SoNs.=] [[spoiler: It is later revealed that the arm is the result of [=SoN=] nanobots that are slowly converting him into a machine.]]
* BettingMiniGame: Frog races!
* {{BFG}}: Bazooka and [[spoiler: Laser Bazooka.]]
* BigCreepyCrawlies
* BootstrappedTheme: Dr. Minche / Mortem's theme, the Bounty Head battle theme, and the Bar's music.
* BonusBoss: The Bounties you can hunt down, often allowing for some quick cash.
* BrainUploading: [[spoiler: Bias Brad in ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).'']]
** Also, in ''Metal Saga,'' while she's already a robot, [[spoiler: if Alpha dies so many times that you can no longer revive her, you can retrieve her memory banks and turn them into a computer, then install them in a tank. It's unclear whether it's really "her," though -- the tank can't operate itself.]]
* CanonName: As mentioned in the HelloInsertNameHere entry below, the default name for the player character of ''Metal Saga: Seijin no Kusari'' is Syu, but this is not mentioned in the Western version of the game.
** In ''Xeno,'' the Player Character's name is "Talis" by canon, but as with the above example, you can change this to whatever you wish.
* CollectionSidequest: Big Medals in ''Metal Saga.'' Unfortunately, seems to be UnwinnableByMistake, as one or more seems to be completely unfindable, and the amount you do find, doesn't seem to trigger anything.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: The {{Backstory}} of the main character in ''Metal Saga 2.'' Was adopted by Maria and became her protege.
* ChainsawGood: Not only do you get a Chainsaw but you also get a Chainsaw Launcher!
** In ''Metal Max 3'' there are multiple types of chainsaw, from the Jet Chainsaw dropped by [[spoiler: Dominguez]] to the Killer Chainsaw you can buy in Teppen Town.
* CrossingTheDesert
* {{Cult}}: Gluteus Maximus in ''Metal Saga,'' a cult of body builders. [[spoiler: You can even join it for a NonStandardGameOver.]]
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).''
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: For the hero and his allies. Dr. Minche / Mortem will revive you for free -- he's just doing it ForScience.
** In ''Xeno,'' if all party members are downed or incapacitated, you and your tanks are automatically teleported back to Iron Base for healing and repairs.
* DoorToBefore: In ''Metal Max (Returns):'' You know that cave near the Large Cannons you had trouble destroying early on? [[spoiler: Guess where you pop out after defeating Noah?]]
* DownloadableContent: ''Metal Max 4'' has 32 Bountyheads that are DLC only.
* TheDragon: [[spoiler: Ted Broiler in ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).'']]
* EnergyBeings: [[spoiler: Trans Brad; Bias Brad's Second Form.]]
* ExcusePlot: The "story" of the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] installment is literally: "You want to be the world's greatest hunter. Do this by traveling from the Eastern side of the planet to the Western side. Good luck." That being said, there ''are'' several plots you can follow to their respective endings, though the main quest and ending involves [[spoiler: journeying to an ancient missile silo and stopping a mysterious organization from causing ''another'' apocalypse.]]
* ExpendableClone: [[spoiler: The Grapplers and Madam Muscles' mooks.]]
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: Tankasaurus in ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded.)'' Also the T-Rex Tank in ''Metal Max 4.''
* FinalDeath: [[spoiler: Wolf in ''Returns'' (Nina also, if you are driving Wolf's tank when you rescue her from Valdez). Everyone that is killed (except party members) in ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).'']]
** Also, in ''Metal Saga,'' [[spoiler: if Alpha dies more than ten times, she suffers a power failure and can't be revived... Although her memory banks can be retrieved, sort of.]]
* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler: Bias Brad's reason for causing the apocalypse is because he was afraid of death and was angry at the prospect of seeing his genius being defeated by an incurable disease that he contracted. As a result, he wanted his intellect to remain unmatched and reduced humanity to near-extinction through his human hunts so as to prevent anyone else from reaching or surpassing his level. He died but saved himself by uploading his mind to a super computer, claiming that death only took a disease ridden corpse.]]
* GeniusBruiser: The series has a few brainy body builders, ranging from ''Metal Max's'' [[MadScientist Mad Muscle]] to ''Metal Saga's'' [[{{Cult}} Father Muscle]] and ''Metal Max 4's'' [[FlyingBrick Mighty Muscle.]]
* GogglesDoNothing: The main character in almost every game has a tanker cap with goggles, but is never seen using them.
* GuideDangIt: Good luck finding every little event and item without a nicely detailed FAQ or map. Especially the tanks. There are also a few really bad glitches involving items a first-timer wouldn't know about unless he / she read a guide.
** [[spoiler: The Synchronizer and Cyclotron code in ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).'']]
* HelloInsertNameHere: As with many [=RPGs,=] you can choose the name of your Protagonist, though, at least in the Japanese version of '' Seijin no Kusari'', the default name for the Protagonist is "Syu."
* HereWeGoAgain: In ''Seijin no Kusari'' after [[spoiler: defeating the Ziggurat, if you choose to retire from being a Hunter (or later return post-game and opt to retire), the ending sequence will play and the credits will roll, but once they're over, the Player Character's mother will exasperatedly [[RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear comment that the Player Character wants to become a hunter again]] with this sort of reaction.]]
* HeroicMime: Played with in ''Metal Saga'': The Protagonist's text boxes make liberal use of ellipses with the occasional punctuation mark to convey emotion ("..." "..?" and "..!" most predominantly) but dialogue choices and conversations with other characters implies that he actually ''does'' speak normally.
* HumanPopsicle: [[spoiler: The Protagonist of ''Metal Max 4'' was cryogenically frozen during the time Noah went berserk. Those who were frozen at the time are called "Heat Seeds." The mission of the Heat Seeds is to restore civilization after everything calmed down. The protagonist's mother was the one who instituted the project. Unfortunately, she died during the process of revival from cryogenic stasis.]]
* HumanResources: The Grapplers of ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded)'' go on people hunts to get guinea pigs for their cruel experiments.
* TheIgor: Dr. Minche / Mortem's Assistant is literally named ''Igor.'' He drags your corpse to the Doctor in ''Metal Max 3.''
* InfinityPlusOneSword: In ''Returns:'' For tanks, [[spoiler: The White Muu.]] For on-foot weapons, [[spoiler: The Laser Bazooka with all four lenses.]]
* KillItWithFire: Flamethrowers, for both people and tanks!
* KillSat: [[spoiler: The BS Controller can act as a remote for a satellite cannon in ''Returns.'']]
** The Protagonist of ''Metal Saga'' can also call down an orbital laser strike with his laptop, though it is more of a "special" attack that costs money to use.
* LaserBlade
* LegacyBossBattle: [[spoiler: Amongst the DLC Bosses in ''Metal Max 4'' are Bad Valdez and Noah from ''Metal Max (Returns),'' the 4 Grappler Emperors from ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded),'' and Olga Mode from ''Metal Max 3.'']]
* LightningGun: The Neutron Gun. [[spoiler: Also Noah and Trans Brad uses this, but in the latter it's more like [[BreathWeapon lightning breath.]]]]
* LockAndKeyPuzzle: You need ID Cards in order to open some of the doors. Some of the keys are found in places one would not expect.
* LockedDoor: Oh ''so many.''
* MadScientist: Dr. Minche / Mortem, Dr. Optica, and [[spoiler: Bias Brad.]]
* MenInBlack: Alex and his henchmen Bonnie and Clive in ''Seijin no Kusari.'' While it is never established whether the Bonnie and Clive are human, Alex himself turns out to be a robot tasked by Noah to finish the job it started.
* MilitaryMashupMachine: All over the damn place. In ''Seijin no Kusari'' you have things like a gigantic desert-roving hovercraft/aircraft carrier/battleship, A WWII dive bomber combined with a vulture, a B-2 Stealth bomber combined with a ''manta ray,'' helicopters combined with dragonflies, missile launchers and artillery cannons combined with... gigantic pairs of legs...and this is just scratching the surface.
* MultiTrackDrifting: At one point in the animated opener to ''Seijin no Kusari,'' the protagonist can be seen power sliding a ''50 Ton Tiger Tank.'' Unfortunately, it's not possible to do this in the game proper.
* MoneySink: The Gold Eating Insects. Enjoy spending hours upon hours to get them to grow by feeding them your cash.
* MoreDakka: Many of the weapons that hit all enemies.
* NailEm: The Rivet Gun in ''Returns.''
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: The monsters you fight. Even some bounty bosses.
** The series itself qualifies, too -- it's a SciFi AfterTheEnd [[TheWestern Western themed]] EasternRPG about {{Bounty Hunter}}s who use UsefulNotes/WorldWarII era tanks to hunt bounties (with the occasional firetruck or more futuristic tank thrown in for good measure.)
* NoodleIncident: The "Great Destruction," which is the apocalyptic event which lead to the current world in the series. [[spoiler: Environmental catastrophes occurred, and the computer systems TurnedAgainstTheirMasters. A scientist known as Professor Brad presumed to have vanished right around this time.]]
* NonStandardGameOver:
** You can receive one at the very beginning of every game if you [[RedPillBluePill decide not to set off on your journey or "Return Home"]], depending on the installment. ''Metal Max 3'' is the first game to not have this right from the start of the game.
** You can also ask either Misha or Rachel to marry you, which will end the game.
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler: Bias Brad, in ''Reloaded'' he even has a third form.]]
** [[spoiler: Alex in ''Seijin no Kusari'' has a monstrous HumongousMecha form that he takes on after you defeat the Ziggurat for a final battle.]]
* OnlyMostlyDead: As long as the corpse is fresh, Dr. Minche / Mortem can revive you or your allies at ''no cost'' (since the process is experimental).
* PenalColony: [[spoiler: Death Cross in ''Metal Max 2 (Reloaded).'']]
* PermanentlyMissableContent: Certain bosses may (or may not) drop their items. Some of these items may (or may not) be completely unique.
** ''Returns'' gives you Item, Equipment, and Monster lists for your BS-Con, giving you a way to measure your progress towards HundredPercentCompletion. Bonus points for the Strawberry Lipstick, an useless novelty item that nonetheless has a convoluted process to acquire within a limited portion of the storyline.
** In ''Metal Saga,'' you only get one shot at each bounty boss. If you lose, you get revived and can continue the game (as usual), but you can never fight that boss again, which means you can never collect their reward, never get any items they drop, and miss out on any plot developments related to defeating them. Ouch.
* PrenupBlowup: You can propose to your [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend childhood friend]] Misha. If you do, she asks if you'd like to save the game beforehand, which prompts your character to reply: "Ah, a prenup." Then the [[MultipleEndings game ends]].
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Being a game set AfterTheEnd, its not surprising that the companions you make aren't the most well-adjusted people in the post-apocalypse world, and that's saying a lot. In ''Seijin no Kusari'' alone you have companions such as:
** Mika/Misha, a {{Meganekko}} WrenchWench.
** Kiriya, Mika's brother with HiddenDepths of his own.
** Shirley/Charlene, a trash-talkin' cowgirl with a penchant for firepower.
** Cannon-wielding super dogs.
** Alpha, a SecretCharacter cyber-girl.
** Rashid, a swordsman who can ''slice tanks in half.''
* RecycledSoundtrack: The series has a lot of recurring songs between installments (understandable, since every game in the series is pretty much a remake of the first, often scene for scene). Most noticeable is the bounty boss theme ''Battle With the Wanted'', which has been exactly the same in every installment. Compare: ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKqw9OO26Fg Metal Max,]]'' ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcQviKe8yZ8 Metal Max 2,]]'' ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI1XqEyVowo Returns,]]'' ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR_AncWskUk Metal Saga,]]'' ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjy6PY4NzL0 Metal Max 3,]]'' ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHpLdCqNCFY Reloaded,]]'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NHw3WDDWRE Metal Max 4.]]''
* RobotGirl: [[spoiler:Alpha.]]
* RocketPunch: Your characters can equip a rocket propelled fist as their personal weapon.
* SecretGovernmentWarehouse: Ghost Base in ''Metal Max (Returns)'' [[spoiler: which also houses the best tank.]]
* SelfImposedChallenge: Take on any of the final bosses in these games without tanks. Have fun with that.
* ShowdownAtHighNoon: [[spoiler: Rodriguez]] is Version B. It is also a DuelBoss / DuelToTheDeath complete with DramaticWind and tumbleweeds.
* SpaceCompression: {{Subverted|Trope}} as most of the games take place in a part of the world. ''Metal Max (Returns)'' takes place in a land called Crime Country.
* TankGoodness: Naturally. The characters' use of armored vehicles can be likened to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'''s use of Magitek Armor.
* [[TheTokyoFireball The Tokio Fireball]]: Given the post-apocalyptic nature of the series, this is hardly surprising, but the setting of ''Metal Max Xeno'' speficially takes place in the former Tokyo Bay area (Or rather Tokio Bay, the city having been renamed at some point before the apocalypse for...reasons) which has been turned into a massive desert by the Great Annihilation. As you explore, you can even come across the [[MonumentalDamage ruins]] of several Tokyo landmarks such as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Big_Sight Tokyo Big Sight]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_National_Stadium_(Tokyo) New National Stadium]],[[labelnote:*]]In this version known as "2020 Stadium" as a reference to the 2020 Olympics[[/labelnote]] and even TokyoTower.
* ThoseTwoGuys: The Pichi Pichi Brothers.
** Bonnie and Clive in ''Seijin no Kusari'' though they don't get enough screen time to actually explore their relationship.
* UnmovingPlaid: Although it is very hard to spot unless you're looking for it, in the FMV opening sequence to ''Seijin no Kusari,'' the main character's vest has a camo pattern made using this type of animation.
* WakeUpCallBoss: The two Big Cannons in ''Returns,'' which teach you to use part breaking attacks such as Piercing Shells and the Wrench Boomerang (and the Buggy's open top as well).
* WaveMotionGun: [[spoiler:Noah's strongest weapon in its final form.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Want to be an asshole? If you decide to take your time bringing a recently-killed party member (or the protagonist himself) to Dr. Mortem/Minche to revive them, approaching family members of the deceased party member/protagonist in question will result in them calling you out for it.
* WideOpenSandbox: ''Metal Saga'' can make you feel pretty lost with all the choice you're given so early on in the game.
** ''Returns'' is a bit better about this. You can follow the world's semblance of linearity, passing through each major landmark and experiencing its story... Or you can make for Canabelle and Hell's Gate while dealing with the bare requisite minimum Bounty Heads and other roadblocks, reaching the best buyable equipment in record time.
* WrenchWench: Being a game both about the post-apocalypse and ''tanks,'' it is no surprise that there is a fair share of these throughout the series. Two specific characters in ''Metal Saga: Seijin no Kusari'' are Misha (or Mika in the Japanese version), the player character's childhood friend and optional companion, and Nina, the player character's ''mom.''
* YouKilledMyFather: Talis' mother was killed by [=SoNs=] when he was young, and serves as the basis for wanting to kill every single [=SoN=] he comes across, [[spoiler: or at least as many as he can before the nanobots from his arm completely turn him into a machine.]]
* ZeroEffortBoss: The "War Memorial" Bounty found in the north-eastern desert in ''Seijin no Kusari'' It's literally just a giant slab of rock that sits there and lets you wail on it till it explodes. The hard part is ''finding'' the damn thing in the massive sandstorm that dominates the aforementioned desert, and surviving the ''ghost tanks'' that dwell within in. Once you "defeat" the Memorial, however, both the sandstorm and the ghost tank attacks subside.
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* ''Metal Max Xeno'' ([=PS4=] and Vita): Following the defeat of the supercomputer NOA, humanity still struggles to survive as NOA's murderous creations, known as [=SoNs=], methodically seek out and destroy human settlements one by one. One of the last surviving settlements, known as Iron Base, receives a mysterious visitor: A young man sporting a metal arm and a blood-red tank, and a serious beef with the [=SoNs.=] With his help, Iron Base can work towards bringing humanity back from the brink of extinction, but the [=SoNs=] are not going to make it easy for them. Released in April 2018, with a western localization by NIS America released on September 25th.

YouKilledMyFather: Talis' mother was killed by [=SoNs=] when he was young, and serves as the basis for wanting to kill every single [=SoN=] he comes across, [[spoiler: or at least as many as he can before the nanobots from his arm completely turn him into a machine.]]

* ''Metal Max Xeno'' ([=PS4=] and Vita): Following the defeat of the supercomputer NOA, humanity still struggles to survive as NOA's murderous creations, known as SoNs, methodically seek out and destroy human settlements one by one. One of the last surviving settlements, known as Iron Base, receives a mysterious visitor: A young man sporting a metal arm and a blood-red tank, and a serious beef with the SoNs. With his help, Iron Base can work towards bringing humanity back from the brink of extinction, but the SoNs are not going to make it easy for them. Released in April 2018, with a western localization by NIS America released on September 25th.

* ProstheticLimbs: Syu in ''Seijin no Kusari'' can gain one depending on the order of the plotlines you follow.
** Talis in ''Xeno'' has one to start with, which allows him to do a powerful electric attack that is especially effective against SoNs. [[spoiler: It is later revealed that the arm is the result of SoN nanobots that are slowly converting him into a machine.]]

* ''Metal Max Xeno'' ([=PS4=] and Vita): Released in April 2018, with a western localization by NIS America scheduled to be released on September 25th.

* ''Metal Saga: Seijin no Kusari ([=PS2=]):'' It starts out with nothing more than an ExcusePlot (see below) but as the young protagonist makes his mark in the post-apocalypse world, he and his friends cross paths with a mysterious group of enemies with sinister motives and connections to an old, infamous enemy of humanity, and whom must be stopped before they cause a second apocalypse. Received a Western localization from Creator/{{Atlus}}. This game was the first 3D iteration of the series, and featured a very memorable fully animated intro video.

The backstory of the series focuses around an apocalyptic event called the "[[ApocalypseHow Great Destruction.]]" [[NoodleIncident Details are unclear,]] but what is known is that the Great Destruction was started by a massive supercomputer named Noah who was originally built by humanity to save the world from environmental catastrophes. Noah, after running countless simulations and attaining sentience, decided that the best way to save the planet was to destroy the ones responsible for causing said environmental catastrophes...which happened to be humanity so one can guess [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt where it went from there.]] A century later, after Noah's defeat, civilization has rebuilt itself in the ruins of the world, which, in the wake of the apocalypse, has changed into a new, and dangerous, frontier with threats such as murderous robots, homicidal military equipment left over from before the Great Destruction, psychopathic bandits, and...giant knife-wielding fruit. Yeah, it's that kind of game. At the forefront of humanity's survival efforts are bounty hunters (simply called "Hunters") who confront these threats head-on in hopes of collecting the lofty bounties posted on the more powerful and dangerous threats. Thankfully, there's plenty of tanks and [[MoreDakka other forms of heavy firepower]] left over from the Old World to make use of.

* ''Metal Saga: Seijin no Kusari ([=PS2=]):'' See ExcusePlot. Received a Western localization from Creator/{{Atlus}}. This game was the first 3D iteration of the series, and featured a very memorable fully animated intro video.

* ''Metal Max 4: Moonlight Diva (3DS)''

* ''Metal Max Xeno'' ([=PS4=] and Vita): Released in April 2018, with a western localization by NIS America scheduled for later in the year.

* MilitaryMashupMachine: All over the damn place. In ''Seijin no Kusari'' you have things like a gigantic desert-roving hovercraft/aircraft carrier/battleship, A WWII dive bomber combined with a vulture, a B-2 Stealth bomber combined with a ''manta ray,'' helicopters combined with dragonflies, missile launchers combined with... gigantic pairs of legs...and this is just scratching the surface.

The overall premise is that it's about 100 years or so after the [[ApocalypseHow Great]] [[NoodleIncident Destruction]], and [[RunningGag the wasteland is an okay place to]]-oh wait, wrong game. While this game does share some similarities to a certain [[VideoGame/{{Fallout}} post-apocalyptic adventure series,]] namely turn-based combat, open world and open-ended gameplay, and the CattlePunk themes, this series actually ''precedes'' that by about 6 years, the first iteration coming out on the SNES, and brings in the element of locating and acquiring [[TankGoodness tanks]] that you can then upgrade with equipment such as main cannons, engines, sub guns, and armor to battle tougher enemies.

The backstory of the series focuses around an apocalyptic event called the "Great Destruction." Details are unclear, but what is known is that the Great Destruction was started by a massive supercomputer named Noah who was originally built by humanity to save the world from environmental catastrophes. Noah, after running countless simulations and attaining sentience, decided that the best way to save the planet was to destroy the ones responsible for causing said environmental catastrophes...which happened to be humanity so one can guess [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt where it went from there.]] A century later, after Noah's defeat, civilization has rebuilt itself in the ruins of the world, which, in the wake of the apocalypse, has changed into a new, and dangerous, frontier with threats such as murderous robots, homicidal military equipment left over from before the Great Destruction, psychopathic bandits, and...giant knife-wielding fruit. Yeah, it's that kind of game. At the forefront of humanity's survival efforts are bounty hunters (simply called "Hunters") who confront these threats head-on in hopes of collecting the lofty bounties posted on the more powerful and dangerous threats. Thankfully, there's plenty of tanks and [[MoreDakka other forms of heavy firepower]] left over from the Old World to make use of.

* HereWeGoAgain: In ''Seijin no Kusari'' after [[spoiler: defeating the Ziggurat, if you choose to retire from being a Hunter (or later return post-game and opt to retire), the ending sequence will play and the credits will roll, but once they're over, the Player Character's mother will exasperatedly [[RepeatingSoTheAudience CanHear comment that the Player Character wants to become a hunter again.]]]]

* GogglesDoNothing: The main character in almost every game has a pilot cap with goggles, but is never seen using them.

The backstory of the series focuses around an apocalyptic event called the "Great Destruction." Details are unclear, but what is known is that the Great Destruction was started by NOAH, a massive supercomputer originally built by humanity to save the world from environmental catastrophes, because he decided that the best way to save the planet was to destroy the ones responsible for causing said environmental catastrophes...which happened to be humanity so one can guess [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt where it went from there.]] A century later, after Noah's defeat, civilization has rebuilt itself in the ruins of the world, which, in the wake of the apocalypse, has changed into a new, and dangerous, frontier with threats such as murderous robots, homicidal military equipment left over from before the Great Destruction, psychopathic bandits, and...giant knife-wielding fruit. Yeah, it's that kind of game. At the forefront of humanity's survival efforts are bounty hunters (simply called "Hunters") who confront these threats head-on in hopes of collecting the lofty bounties posted on the more powerful and dangerous threats. Thankfully, there's plenty of tanks and [[MoreDakka other forms of heavy firepower]] left over from the Old World to make use of.

* ''Metal Saga: Seijin no Kusari ([=PS2=]):'' See ExcusePlot. Received a Western localization from Creator/{{Atlus}}.

In all the games, the player takes the role of a young bounty hunter who ventures out from his quiet hometown to take down various bounties, though the overall plot can differ depending on the game. All of them are open world RPG's however, with very nonlinear plots that aren't completely mandatory to follow through (and, in some cases, may be [[PermanentlyMissableContent completely missed]] unless you [[GuideDangIt know what you're doing]]) though each game has at least one main plot that leads to a canon ending. As mentioned above, another major trait of the series is the use of tanks and other vehicles to battle your enemies, which can be obtained by buying them, completing quests for them, obtaining them from defeated enemies, or by simply finding them with a metal detector and digging them out of the desert.

In all the games, the player takes the role of a young bounty hunter who ventures out from his quiet hometown to take down various bounties, though the overall plot can differ depending on the game. All of them are open world RPG's however, with very nonlinear plots that aren't completely mandatory to follow through (and, in some cases, may be [[PermanentlyMissableContent completely missed]] unless you [[GuideDangIt know what you're doing]]) though each game has at least one main plot that leads to a canon ending. Another major trait of the series is the use of tanks and other vehicles to battle your enemies, upgrading them with better equipment such as weapons, armor, and engines to perform better in combat, and which can be maintained by buying them, completing quests for them, obtaining them from defeated enemies, or by simply finding them with a metal detector and digging them out of the desert.

The backstory of the series focuses around an apocalyptic event called the "Great Destruction." Details are unclear, but what is known is that the Great Destruction was started by NOAH, a massive supercomputer originally built by humanity to save the world from environmental catastrophes, because he decided that the best way to save the planet was to destroy the ones responsible for causing the environmental catastrophes, which happened to be humanity...and one can guess [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt where it went from there.]] A century later, after Noah's defeat, civilization has gotten back on its feet in the ruins of the world, which, in the wake of the apocalypse, has changed into a new, and dangerous, frontier with threats such as murderous robots, homicidal military equipment left over from before the Great Destruction, psychopathic bandits, and...giant knife-wielding fruit. Yeah, it's that kind of game. At the forefront of humanity's survival efforts are bounty hunters (simply called "Hunters") who confront these threats head-on in hopes of collecting the lofty bounties posted on the more powerful and dangerous threats. Thankfully, there's plenty of tanks and [[MoreDakka other forms of heavy firepower]] left over from the Old World to make use of.

The backstory of the series focuses around an apocalyptic event called the "Great Destruction," details are unclear, but what is known is that the Great Destruction was started by NOAH, a massive supercomputer originally built by humanity to save the world from environmental catastrophes, because he decided that the best way to save the planet was to destroy the ones responsible for causing the environmental catastrophes, which happened to be humanity...and one can guess [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt where it went from there.]] A century later, after Noah's defeat, civilization has gotten back on its feet in the ruins of the world, which, in the wake of the apocalypse, has changed into a new, and dangerous, frontier with threats such as murderous robots, homicidal military equipment left over from before the Great Destruction, psychopathic bandits, and...giant knife-wielding fruit. Yeah, it's that kind of game. At the forefront of humanity's survival efforts are bounty hunters (simply called "Hunters") who confront these threats head-on in hopes of collecting the lofty bounties posted on the more powerful and dangerous threats. Thankfully, there's plenty of tanks and [[MoreDakka other forms of heavy firepower]] left over from the Old World to make use of.

The overall premise is that it's about 100 years or so after the [[ApocalypseHow Great]] [[NoodleIncident Destruction]], and [[RunningGag the wasteland is an okay place to]]-oh wait, wrong game. While this game does share some similarities to a certain [[VideoGame/Fallout post-apocalyptic adventure series,]] namely turn-based combat, open world and open-ended gameplay, and the CattlePunk themes, this series actually ''precedes'' that by about 6 years, the first iteration coming out on the SNES, and brings in the element of locating and acquiring [[TankGoodness tanks]] that you can then upgrade with equipment such as main cannons, engines, sub guns, and armor to battle tougher enemies.